This invention relates to woven fabrics in which the warp and weft are made of synthetic resinous material. One particular example of such a woven fabric is that which is intended for use as a carpet backing and which is formed from flat warp and weft tapes of synthetic resinous material, for example, polypropylene.
When a woven fabric is said to be formed from "warp and weft tapes", this is to be understood as meaning that the tapes have a cross-section in which the maximum dimension or width is substantially greater than the greatest thickness. Commonly, the warp and weft tapes are obtained by individual extrusion or by slitting an extruded film of the synthetic resinous material. When the expression "warp and weft tapes" is used, it is not intended to convey any particular state of either in respect of twisting and/or folding. When a woven fabric is said to be formed from "flat warp and weft tapes", this is intended to convey that the tapes are substantially twistless in the woven fabric and present a flat appearance. However, in a woven fabric which is said to be formed from flat warp and weft tapes, there is usually an incidence of twist or folding present, particularly in the case of the weft.